Fastball (Stadium Series Book 3)

by S A Clayton

  “Wow…” he groans, leaning his head back against the headboard and closing his eyes, a satisfied smirk on his face.

  “Wow,” I repeat, leaning in and kissing him lightly. I open my eyes and he’s staring right at me. “What?” I ask, feeling utterly exposed in this moment.

  “Nothing. I just love looking at you.” He traces my jaw with the tip of his fingers as if he’s memorizing my features.

  “How about we get some sleep, huh? I need to wake you up every hour, so we have a night ahead of us.”

  He groans, shaking his head in disagreement. “Seriously? So we really need to do that…” he whines like a child as I smirk down at him. Big baby.

  “Doctor’s orders,” I say, getting up and groaning at the loss of him.

  I go into the closet quick and pick out some boxers, throwing them in his direction. I then rummage through his shirts and find one, throwing it over my head.

  “You know it’s not natural for you to look this hot in one of my T-shirts,” Josh admits, watching me through heated eyes as I make my way back to the bed.

  He’s already under the covers and once I snuggle in next to him, I look up, seeing he’s already staring at me.

  “My answer is yes,” I whisper, kissing his bare chest and lacing my fingers with his and squeezing.

  “Answer to what?” he asks, and I smile against his skin.

  I knew the second I saw him in that hospital bed that I would never let him out of my life, I knew the second he woke and I saw those blue eyes once again that I would give him anything he asked for… even this.

  “To moving in with you,” I say, gazing into his eyes as they bulge and his arms tighten around me.

  “Are you serious right now? You’re really saying yes to moving in with me?”

  I nod my head, smiling as his eyes continue to question me.

  “What changed your mind? I thought this was too soon.”

  My eyes are somber and I avert them to his chest, feeling extra vulnerable in this moment.

  “Seeing you in that bed, wires everywhere and not being able to talk to you, see those eyes…”

  His fingers lift my chin so our eyes meet, and I can’t help the tear that falls at the memory.

  “It made me realize that it might seem fast to other people, but I can’t live without you. So, I want to move in here, I want to share this space and I want to be here when you get home every day.”

  His eyes soften and he leans down and takes my lips in a kiss that is unlike anything we’ve shared before. It’s soft yet full of all the love we have for each other and I melt against him.

  “I love you so much, Sunshine,” he mutters against my lips.

  “I love you too.”

  His fingers stroke my hair and I rest my head on his chest and wonder if I can finally sleep easy knowing that our life will go back to normal.

  18

  Josh

  Waking up to my girl in my arms and the peace of knowing that everything will be resolved soon brings a smile to my face. Today is the day that Harper and I head to Dixon’s office to finally start the process of getting our lives back.

  When Harper told me about her phone call with Dixon and then the subsequent interaction, or should I say intimidation from TJ, I was livid. Pissed that I wasn’t there to protect her like I promised I would—thank god for King—and also mad at myself for not seeing it sooner. In hindsight, everything TJ said made sense. The confidence, the goading, and the incessant need to piss me off all led to the fact that he wanted me to sink myself. He wanted my sport but knew he couldn’t make it with talent alone. He needed to ruin my reputation which led him to fucking Angela.

  I knew there was something off about that chick, she was a red flag machine and although I stayed out of her hair as much as possible, I can’t imagine how Harper is feeling knowing she played a part in all of this.

  “What are you thinking about so hard over there?” Harper asks.

  Her fingers tangle in my hair as I turn to look down at her gorgeous face. I smile because for the first time in months, I don’t have this sense of foreboding sitting in the pit of my stomach. I’m not wondering what today will bring or if those fucking photos will end up on the news at any moment. The peace I feel in this moment is extraordinary and I can’t wait until all of this is over and done with for good.

  “Worried about you,” I admit, smiling at the way her eyes narrow and she sits up cross-legged beside me.

  “Why would you be worried about me? You’re the one that was just released from the hospital.”

  I nod, knowing that it’s true, but my trauma was physical, her trauma has been mental and more substantial.

  “I know, but that doesn’t mean what happened to you is any less concerning. Sweetheart, you just found out that my teammate was following and blackmailing us.”

  She rolls her eyes as if that information doesn’t change a thing for her.

  “Josh, TJ was a jerk and yes it was kind of shocking that it was him when I honestly thought it was Cole for the longest time. But it makes sense now, right? All the pieces are starting to fall into place.”

  I nod. “True, but what about Angela?” I ask, seeing the way her entire body recoils at the name. “Aren’t you upset that someone you knew for that long would do something like this?”

  She’s silent for a few minutes before she shakes her head.

  “Honestly, no. Angela and I have never been on the best of terms. She was upset that I have more power than her, she hated that everyone would come to me with issues in the gym and for the longest time, I swear she was jealous of the fact that anytime a baseball player or someone who knows who I am would come, they would only talk to me and not her.”

  Makes sense. From the brief interactions I had with her, the self-importance that washed off her was extraordinary.

  “Are you ready for today?” I ask, knowing that if she said no, I would call Dixon in a heartbeat and tell him to wait or even just do this myself, but my girl just nods her head.

  “Of course. Getting this over with is something I’ve been dreaming about for months.”

  I pull her close, kissing her lips as my hands thread themselves in her hair.

  “You don’t have to come, you know; I can do it.”

  She shakes her head, pulling away from my grip. “Not a chance, big guy. One, I’m not letting you out of my sight for a while.”

  I wink at her because that doesn’t sound like a bad thing to me.

  “And two, I want to be there for this. This has affected me and you for so long that I want the satisfaction of signing those papers and talking to those officers.”

  I nod, knowing she’s right.

  “Okay, then. We better get going before we’re late and Dixon charges me time and a half,” I joke, wondering if he would actually do that, but too afraid to find out.

  The second we step inside Dixon’s office, everything happens at once. We’re on the phone with the chief of police, a man that I know is Cole’s father and someone who is apologizing profusely for his role in all of this. Obviously, he feels guilty for dismissing Harper’s claims and is trying to make up for it now. I have no doubt that Dixon threatened to go public with all that information and now the chief will do just about anything to help us now.

  My eyes drift to Harper during Dixon’s demands, which include a restraining order for both Angela and TJ, along with harassment and stalking. My eyes catch Harper’s as the chief concedes to all of the demands without even a hesitation and that small smirk on her lips is so fucking sexy that I have to remind myself that I’m in a roomful of lawyers and police and that sporting a hard-on right now isn’t something that needs to happen. Harper’s eyes heat when she sees exactly what that spark in her eyes did to me, but she shakes her head, dismissing me.

  “Thank you, Chief. I will be faxing over the paperwork momentarily.” Dixon doesn’t wait for an answer before he disconnects the call and faces us with a huge smile on his face.
“That honestly could not have gone better. I know him and his force dismissing your claims the first time was hard, but it’s leaning in your favor right now.”

  Harper nods, a small smile playing on the edge of her lips as her fingers grasp mine and bring my hand into her lap.

  “So, what happens now?” she asks, her voice softer than before, uneasiness creeping through her strong exterior.

  “Well, we submit the paperwork for the restraining order, harassment and stalking charges and then in about two to three days, both parties will be brought in and charged.”

  We both nod, still not really sure what to expect.

  “I know the restraining order will go into effect right away, correct?” I ask,

  Harper squeezing my fingers at the idea of it happening.

  When Dixon agrees, I continue, “So what happens with the harassment and stalking charges?”

  Dixon sits back in his chair and steeples his hands in front of him. To anyone else, that would be an intimidating pose, but all I feel is relief that he’s on our side.

  “To be honest, the road ahead isn’t easy. There will be an investigation and they will need to speak to both of you, together and apart. I won’t lie to you and say that these charges will stick, because they might not but we will do everything in our power to make sure someone pays for what happened to both of you.”

  Harper sighs in relief because even though the future isn’t guaranteed, we know that it’s over.

  It’s finally over.

  “Thank you,” Harper says, her voice cracking as I squeeze her fingers once more.

  I know this day has been draining, I can see it in her expression and the way she closes her eyes every once in a while.

  “Don’t thank me yet, I have a lot of work to do these next few days but go home and rest. I’m sure you both need it.”

  I agree because he’s not wrong. I’m exhausted and could use a nap right about now. We’ve been in this room for at least four hours, and I’m beat. I take my girl’s hand and lift her off her chair and bring her to my chest, kissing her temple.

  “Thanks for everything, Dixon, you know where to find me if you need anything.”

  He nods his head once before looking back at his computer.

  “Oh, Josh?” he asks just as we reach his closed door. I turn, facing him. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  I give him a small smile before opening the door and heading back out to my truck. I have a need to lie in my bed, Harper’s arms wrapped around me, and fall asleep knowing that everything is finally going in our favor.

  19

  Josh

  I wake to one of my dreams come true. My eyes cast down only to see Harper, lying between my legs and inhaling my cock like it’s her fucking job.

  “Jesus Christ, Sunshine,” I mutter through gritted teeth. My mouth opens to tell her to stop before I come but she inhales my cock so far to the back of her throat that I see stars. My fingers thread through her hair, pushing her farther down my cock and gasping at the gagging sounds coming from her throat. Jesus, this girl was made for me.

  “Enough,” I grit through clenched teeth as I pull her off my cock, and before she can protest, I spin her around and lift her legs until she’s straddling my face, her mouth still hovering over my engorged cock. “It’s only fair that if you get a taste, so do I.”

  She moans, sinking her mouth back down on my cock as I grip her hips and pull her pussy onto my mouth before licking her from back to front.

  “Jesus, Josh, how can one tongue feel so fucking good,” she says, taking her mouth away from my cock and so I do the same. Her head turns, wondering why I stopped, and I just give her a sinister smirk.

  “You stop, I stop, sweetheart. Now suck my cock the way I know you can, and I’ll eat your pussy until your legs give out.”

  The sound that comes out of her mouth is nothing short of erotic and when that tongue traces the length of me, I do the same, savoring the taste of her on my lips. After a few seconds, I start to feel her legs start to shake and the vibrations in her throat as she moans around me.

  “That’s it, Sunshine,” I mutter against her, my fingers tracing her opening and groaning as she shudders when I sink those two digits inside and feel her walls squeeze. “Come for me sweetheart, flood my mouth.”

  With that, she comes on a cry, flooding me with her taste while sinking my aching cock to the back of her throat and swallowing, causing me to explode in her mouth.

  “Fucking hell…” I murmur, trying to catch my breath because right now I can’t even remember my own name.

  “Good morning,” Harper whispers before kissing her way back up my torso before finally landing on my lips.

  I can still taste myself on her lips and although some guys might find that revolting, the fact that this woman just sucked me dry without any prompting makes it hard to stop my tongue from entering her mouth.

  The kiss was supposed to be innocent enough, just a good morning peck before we get started on the day, but before long, we’re making out and it’s ten minutes later and the ringtone of my phone separates us.

  “Who the fuck is calling me this early?” I mutter before Harper burst into laughter when she points to the clock on the wall. It’s after ten.

  I haven’t stayed in bed this late since college. I kiss her quickly once before leaning over and picking up my phone off the nightstand and seeing that it’s my coach.

  “What’s up?” I ask, holding the speaker to my ear while sitting back against the headboard and pulling Harper’s over so that her head is resting on my leg.

  “Hey Josh, I was just calling to see how you were doing.” His voice sounds strained, and I bet the last few days have been interesting, to say the least. I look down, smiling as my fingers begin to play with Harper’s hair. “You’re doing good?” he repeats, his concern crystal clear.

  “Yeah, I’m good.” My fingers still threading through her hair and playing with the ends. “Headaches are still lingering but the doc told me that was normal for the next few weeks.”

  Harper shifts, her eyes landing on mine with a small smile on her lips.

  “I wanted to see if you and Harper wanted to come by my office for a second today. I need to discuss something with both of you.”

  Harper can clearly hear him because her eyebrow raises as she sits up beside me.

  “You want both of us there?” I ask, wondering why he wants to see Harper.

  “Yeah, if you don’t mind. This concerns both of you.” The tone of his voice has my heart racing just a little bit faster than normal as Harper’s fingers dig into my leg. My eyes catch hers and she nods, telling me we should go.

  “Okay. We’ll be there in about an hour.”

  We hang up and before I can say anything, Harper is out of the bed and heading into the closet. I know from the tension in her shoulders that she’s wading through an armload of emotions right now.

  “Sweetheart?” I ask, watching as she paces back and forth from her shirts that are hanging to the pants that are folded neatly on the shelf next to her. “Sunshine,” I say with more force, and she stops, turns, and looks me in the eyes. “Are you okay with going there?”

  I don’t have to say the exact words, she knows I mean the stadium. From the fear laced in her eyes I know she’s still scared of that place. I know that one day doesn’t erase all the bad that happened there, and for that, I want to make sure that when she walks through those doors again, she’ll be okay.

  “I think so?” she questions as if reassuring me and herself at the same time. “I know I made progress, but I’m scared I won't be able to…” She trails off as her eyes become distant and I pull her into my lap so that she’s straddling my hips and I take her face in the palms of my hands.

  “I don’t care,” I say, making sure she understands every word that’s coming out of my mouth.

  “What do you mean you don’t care?” she whispers, the anxiety rolls off her in waves.

  I ca
n’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent wishing and praying that I could hold that burden for her, and right now I’m doing the best I can to reassure her that what she’s feeling is valid and normal for her situation.

  “I mean, I don’t care. If you can’t go in today, that’s okay.”

  Her eyes narrow as if she doesn’t believe me.

  “Sunshine, as much as I loved you coming to my game, I know how hard that was for you and I never want to see you that upset again.”

  She’s quiet for a few seconds before she speaks again.

  “But what if I can never go back in, what if for some reason that was the only time I could go into that stadium?” I give her a small smile, pulling her into my chest and feeling her arms wrap around me.

  “Then you watch me from home.”

  “It’s that simple for you?”

  I nod. “Yes. Baseball is my passion, but you’re my future and I will do anything to protect you. Got it?” I lean in and kiss her softly before pulling us both up from the bed and setting her down on her feet. “Now get dressed so we can go see what my coach wants.” I head into the closet and when she doesn’t follow, I poke my head back out into the room to see her standing in the same spot I left her. “Harper? You okay?” I ask, hoping I didn’t say something I shouldn’t have.

  “Yeah,” she whispers, her gaze meeting mine. “I love you.”

  My face softens and I wink, loving the full-blown smile she gives me.

  “Love you too, Sunshine.”

  I pull into the parking lot of the Hawks stadium and glance to my right for what seems like the millionth time in the last twenty minutes. Making sure Harper is okay is the only thing on my mind right now, not what Coach wants to say, not what my future holds after this injury. Harper. That’s it.

  “You okay?” I ask, my hand sliding to her knee and squeezing reassuringly.

  She nods but says nothing.

  “We can turn around right now, and I can have this conversation over the phone,” I say, hoping it helps ease some of the anxious energy I know is coursing through her.